


Hide and Seek

by Inkpot



Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [9]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: (nonspecific), Angst, Character Study, Gen, I almost forgot to remove a random author's note in there whoops, I keep forgetting to tag that but to be fair it's not always directly relevent, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Memories, Soul Bond, mentions of Gadget's backstory, mild hypnosis/mind control implied?, semiverbal Gadget the Wolf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 07:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21334849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpot/pseuds/Inkpot
Summary: He talked like it was a game because it made it easier. Too bad memories aren't as easy to ignore.
Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505933
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Hide and Seek

**Author's Note:**

> I should be working on my nano longfic, but this is prequel in a way so I figure it counts. Besides, I need to post this before sharing the main story right?

Jump, shoot, swing, land. Jump, shoot, swing, land. Rooftop to rooftop, never slowing, always jumping before the grappling hook even left its launcher because he couldn’t afford to risk the extra second.

It wasn’t Gadget’s best day, that was sure. He’d been too focused on helping civilians to realize how far he’d strayed from the safe range. Then Infinite moved a mile all at once, jagged pain shooting through Gadget’s chest as their bond strained against the separation.

He didn’t even take the time to reassure the worried faces around him before shooting away, praying he could draw Infinite’s attention elsewhere before more innocent people got hurt. It was the least he could do after everything.

(yourfaultyourfaultyourfaultyoudidn’tstophim-)

The roofs blurred in the edges of his vision, muscle memory carrying him through the air more than conscious choice. He wasn’t even trying to be stealthy at this point so it didn’t much matter. Not that it stopped him from being startled when a voice spoke from directly behind him.

“Found you~”

He dropped his grappling hook at once, shooting to one side and stumbling a little as he hit the ground. A glance back revealed Infinite floating sedately to the ground, hands folded behind his back and posture perfectly relaxed.

“It’s been a while since you slipped up,” Infinite said, tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. “Not the best day? Not that it matters. A win is a win and a loss is a loss.”

Gadget turned to face him, feet set apart, ready to move whenever Infinite so much as twitched in his direction.

Even with the mask obscuring Infinite’s face, Gadget could sense the corner of his mouth twitch upward. “You always were a stubborn one. Wouldn’t it be easier to just cooperate?”

Gadget hesitated, relaxing his stance just a little.

Infinite continued on as if he hadn’t noticed. “We both know you’re smart enough to realize you’re only prolonging the inevitable. Why keep fighting? I can offer you anything you could ever want.” His voice shifted then, from his usual villainous drone to something rougher, but almost gentle). “I’ll keep you safe.”

Gadget tensed, discreetly readying his grappling hook. If he was quick, if he caught Infinite by surprise, he might be able to get away. He readied himself…

And hesitated.

It wasn’t the words, really. It was the voice, the tone, familiar in a way that wasn’t…

_You remind me of myself, okay? That_ _’s all the reason you’re getting._

_Damn it, you idiot, you can_ _’t - what would I - what would your family have done if you’d - _

_You really are out of shape. Come on, one more hill. You can - _

Gadget was startled out of his memories by movement, Infinite taking a few slow steps - walking, not flying, that had to matter but he wasn’t sure why - and pausing, close enough that if they both stretched their fingertips could touch.

For as busy as his thoughts had been moments before, now Gadget found his mind blank as a fresh canvas. Threads of thought drifted through the emptiness, just out of reach, but the few he could grasp whispering he’s right, why fight, things would be so much easier -

He stiffened all at once, violently shoving those thoughts away. Infinite cocked his head to one side as though puzzled. “What are-”

Gadget shot his grappling hook to the side and was yanked away before the plan finished forming in his mind. Behind him he heard Infinite yelling something, but he didn’t listen. He wasn’t sure what might happen if he did.

The hiding part of hide and seek tag had never been Gadget’s favorite part. Finding people was fine, tag was pretty fun even if he wasn’t great at it, and even hunting down a spot or sneaking between spots was cool. But hiding… the anticipation, the uncertainty of whether you’d be found, holding your breath as the seeker passed… he hated that.

He buried himself in a tangle of a tree, hidden by thick leaves and twisting branches. It was still closer to Infinite than he liked, but right now he just needed to get out of sight. Just for long enough to fix his thoughts.

Gadget took a deep, silent breath, leaning back against the trunk and closing his eyes. He turned his gaze inward, combing through his thoughts, scrutinizing every stray idea for _there!_

He grabbed a thread that didn’t quite match its surroundings, face scrunching with concentration as he kept a hold of the slippery energy. A bit of mental gymnastics had it sealed away in a corner, swirling with the other energy he’d caught recently. He’d filter it properly later.

With that handled, Gadget allowed himself to go limp in the tree’s hold. He’d forgotten to watch for the ruby’s energy. Even with it reaching out every time he was close to Infinite, he hadn’t been watching. He needed to focus better or he’d get himself caught for sure.

A soft cooing caught his attention. He glanced up and spotted a single eye peering out from behind a branch. It jumped when he made eye contact, then flew out and stopped in front of him, revealing a magenta wisp.

Gadget blinked at it, then offered a hesitant smile and wave.

The wisp stared back for another moment, then started squeaking and bouncing around excitedly, its movements appearing random but oddly rhythmic. Gadget giggled before smacking his hand over his mouth, automatically checking for Infinite’s location. Far out of hearing range, but he really couldn’t afford to be found until he’d had at least a couple minutes to regroup.

The wisp stopped bouncing and cooed a question, looking at him with concern. He managed a weak smile and waved it off. “It’s fine.” He paused, thinking, then signed, “[A little jumpy.]” “And thinking about things,” he added out loud, more to remind himself that he could than because he felt like talking.

There was a strange chirring noise, then the wisp settled in front of him, blinking up expectantly.

He blinked back. “[You want to hear?]” Affirmative chirp. “[Not much to tell, but… okay.]”

Gadget closed his eyes, thinking. “[Infinite reminded me of… of how… of someone I knew before the war. A friend.]” He paused. “[My best friend. He… did a lot for me.]” Another pause. “[I miss him. I miss all of them. We did some dumb stuff, but it was always so much fun.]”

Hide and seek had been a joke when he started thinking of this mess with those terms. The tactics he employed were the same ones he’d used with his friends after school; giggling in trees as the seeker passed by unaware, teasing each other for not noticing the obvious, hiding in the most ridiculous places because it _worked_. It was a way to remember the better times, a way to make things less serious, make it easier to get up in the morning. Because it was all just a game, right?

He briskly shook the thought free. “[But even if the war ended now, it wouldn’t fix everything. I don’t know what happened to most of them, and the only one I do know is…]”

The wisp chirred when his hands remained still too long. He shook his head and forced a smile. “[It’s fine. I couldn’t save him, but I’m making up for it by helping other people. I… think he’d approve, probably.]” 

From its narrowed eye, the wisp didn’t buy his act. It darted up and stretched its appendages around his cheek in a more sapient than wispish act of affection. Gadget closed his eyes and patted its head gently. “Thank you,” he said, his voice a bare whisper. The wisp hummed and remained where it was.

A long minute passed before Gadget sighed and opened his eyes. “I should get moving again. And you should go find your friends.” He couldn’t quite keep the reluctance out of his voice, but… Infinite was at a safe distance. He couldn’t just stay here forever. There was work to do.

When he went to sit up, the wisp made a startled little sound and pushed him back down. It stared at him pointedly until he got the message and relaxed. “[Okay… but just a few more minutes.]”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](https://lessinkmoregraphite.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Any and all comments much appreciated!


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